Progressives found themselves deeply opposed to several elements of the Republican bill to authorize military programs for 2003. Republicans had used the bill to permit testing the use of nuclear weapons in "conventional" combat, to carve out an exception from certain environmental laws for military training exercises, and to start the development of a missile defense system. Progressives opposed using nuclear weapons for any purpose, they opposed special exemptions to environmental laws, and they saw a missile defense system as dangerous, expensive, and unworkable. Joining them in opposition was Taylor (D-MS), who opposed the bill because he was not allowed to propose an amendment to stop the next round of military base closings. To gum up the works, Taylor moved to rise from the Committee of the Whole-an entirely procedural motion that required the House to spend time casting a vote. Progressives supported the motion because they favored stalling the forward march of the bill. The motion failed, 55-336, but victory was not the object: the object was to bring the House to a standstill in the hope that the Republican majority would be forced to change the bill, or at least to allow Progressives to propose amendments to it. This was only one of many attempts that together took debate into the small hours of the morning.